France defeated Austria 1-0 in their opening match of the Euro 2024 tournament on Monday thanks to an own goal from Maximilian Woeber, but Kylian Mbappe was substituted with a cut nose in the closing moments.
Seven minutes before halftime in Duesseldorf, Woeber deflected Mbappe’s cutback into his own net, allowing the French, who are among the top-ranked teams in the competition, to overcome a difficult test.
Under Ralf Rangnick, Austria has significantly improved, and their pressing style of play frequently caused problems for the 2022 World Cup runners-up, who saw Mbappe leave the field at the end after being injured in a clash.
He had earlier failed to convert a glorious chance that would have allowed France to win by a wider margin.
While Les Bleus were not at their best, they will be relieved to have emerged victorious from the game.
France’s midfielder #13 N’Golo Kante poses with the player of the match award after the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D football match between Austria and France at the Duesseldorf Arena in Duesseldorf on June 17, 2024. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
The result leaves Didier Deschamps’ team level on three points in Group D with the Netherlands, who defeated Poland 2-1 in Hamburg on Sunday.
The next match is between France and the Netherlands on Friday in Leipzig, while Austria plays Poland in Berlin earlier the same day.
Austria’s team is accustomed to playing in the European Championship since its coach, Rangnick, is German and eight members of their starting lineup competed in the German Bundesliga the previous season. The team had some remarkable results going into the competition, having gone seven games without losing.
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